Verbena plant named ‘Sumverdi 01’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Verbena  plant named ‘Sumverdi 01’, characterized by its compact, upright and mounded plant habit; early and freely flowering habit; light violet-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Verbena hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUMVERDI 01’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbenaplant, botanically known as Verbena hybrida, and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Sumverdi 01’.

The new Verbena is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Lüdinghausen, Germany. The objective of the breedingprogram is to develop new early flowering Verbena cultivars with amounded plant habit.

The new Verbena originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventorin March, 2002 of a proprietary seedling selection of Verbena hybridaidentified as Seedling 10, not patented, as the female, or seed, parentwith a proprietary seedling selection of Verbena hybrida identified asSeedling 1-5, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivarSumverdi 01 was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a floweringplant within the progeny from the aforementioned cross-pollination in acontrolled environment in Lüdinghausen, Germany in September, 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings at Lüdinghausen,Germany, since October, 2002, has shown that the unique features of thisnew Verbena are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Sumverdi 01’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Sumverdi 01’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and mounded plant habit.    -   2. Early and freely flowering habit.    -   3. Light violet-colored flowers.    -   4. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Verbena differ from plants of the female parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena flower earlier than plants of the        female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Verbena have larger flowers than plants of        the female parent selection.    -   3. Flowers of plants of the new Verbena are darker in color than        flowers of plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Verbena differ primarily from plants of the maleparent selection in plant size as plants of the new Verbena are morecompact than plants of the male parent selection.

The new Verbena can be compared to the cultivar, Sumverb 02, disclosedin U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,584. However, in side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Lüdinghausen, Germany, plants of the new Verbena differedfrom plants of the cultivar Sumverb 02 in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena were more compact and had shorter        internodes than plants of the cultivar Sumverb 02.    -   2. Plants of the new Verbena were more freely branching than        plants of the cultivar Sumverb 02.    -   3. Plants of the new Verbena had smaller leaves than plants of        the cultivar Sumverb 02.    -   4. Plants of the new Verbena flowered earlier than plants of the        cultivar Sumverb 02.    -   5. Plants of the new Verbena were more freely flowering than        plants of the cultivar Sumverb 02.    -   6. Plants of the new Verbena had smaller inflorescences and        smaller flowers than plants of the cultivar Sumverb 02.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Verbena. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of atypical plant of ‘Sumverdi 01’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants grown in10.5-cm containers were used for the aforementioned photograph andfollowing description. Plants has been growing for about two months whenthe photograph and the description were taken. Plants were grown underconditions which closely approximate commercial production conditionsduring the summer in Lüdinghausen, Germany in an outdoor nursery. Duringthe production period, day temperatures ranged from about 16° C. toabout 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from about 8° C. to about 14°C.

-   Botanical classification: Verbena hybrida cultivar Sumverdi 01.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of Verbena            hybrida identified as Seedling 10, not patented.        -   Male parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of Verbena            hybrida identified as Seedling 1-5, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Vegetative tip cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 14 days at 16° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 18 days at 16° C.        -   Time to develop roots, summer.—About 24 days at 16° C.        -   Time to develop roots, winter.—About 28 days at 16° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; color, 162C.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   General appearance.—Compact, upright and mounded plant            habit; bushy plant form.        -   Growth and branching habit.—Freely basal branching; about            ten lateral branches develop per plant. Pinching, that is,            removal of the terminal apices, enhances branching with            lateral branches potentially forming at every node.        -   Plant height.—about 20 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 40 cm.        -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 20 cm. Diameter:            About 2 mm to 3 mm. Internode length: About 2 cm to 2.5 cm.            Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144B.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple. Length:            About 2 cm. Width: About 1.5 cm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex:            Acute. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Deeply dissected. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Slightly pubescent. Venation            pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface:            146A. Developing foliage, lower surface: 147C. Fully            expanded foliage, upper surface: 146A. Fully expanded            foliage, lower surface: 147B to 147C. Venation, upper            surface: 147A. Venation, lower surface: 147C. Petiole:            Length: About 5 mm. Daintier: About 1 mm. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth. Color, upper surface: 147A. Color,            lower surface: 147C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single upright salverform flowers            arranged on hemispherical corymbs. Freely flowering with            about 20 to 22 flowers and flower buds per inflorescence.            Inflorescences positioned above and beyond the foliage.            Flowers last about one week on the plant. Corollas not            persistent. Flowers slightly fragrant.        -   Flowering season.—In the garden, flowering is continuous            from early spring until fall. Early flowering, plants begin            flowering about four to five weeks after pinching.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 4 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 3.5 cm to 4 cm.        -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 1.2 cm to 1.3 cm. Height            (depth): About 2 cm to 2.2 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1 cm to 1.2 cm. Diameter: About            2 mm. Shape: Elongate oblong. Color: N89A.        -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five per flower fused at base.            Length: About 6 mm. Width: About 5 mm. Shape: Roughly            cordate. Apex: Emarginate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth; velvety. Color: When            opening, upper surface: N87B. When opening, lower surface:            N86C. Fully opened, upper surface: N87B; color becoming            closer to N88B with development. Fully opened, lower            surface: N87D.        -   Sepals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five, fused into an elongated            tube. Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Shape:            Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth. Color, immature and mature, inner            surface: 147B. Color, immature and mature, outer surface:            147C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Strength: Strong. Angle from stem: About 35° to 45°.            Texture: Smooth. Color: 137A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: five per flower.            Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther            color: 17B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 17B.            Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About            2 mm. Style length: About 1 cm. Style color: 17B. Stigma            shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: 17B. Ovary color: Close to            145A.        -   Seeds.—Length: About 1 mm to 2 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Color: 202A.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Verbena have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Verbena.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Verbena have exhibited good    tolerance to rain and wind. In addition, plants of the new Verbena    have been observed to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from about    0° C. to about 40° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant named ‘Sumverdi 01’, asillustrated and described.